As the struggling economy tightens its stranglehold on the automotive industry, more and more companies are announcing extended plant closures and other cost-cutting measures. The latest automaker to do so is Bentley, which will be idling its Crewe factory for up to seven weeks to prevent unsold vehicles from piling up.

"Bentley production fell last year by 24%, a similar figure to other luxury car makers," Mike Hawes, corporate affairs director for Bentley, told Britain's AutoCar. "There is no specific date for when production will resume, but our workers will continue to get paid while the plant is shut down."According to Hawes, Bentley uses a time-banking system where workers will continue to be paid while the factory is closed but will have to make up the time later.

The dramatic sales drop in 2008, down to 7,600 units, was a major turnaround from 2007, when Bentley built nearly 10,000 vehicles, a company record. The Crewe factory builds the Bentley Continental and Arnage models and will be shuttered beginning in early March and extending into late April. Stoppages will be staggered so that cars already in production will be completed. Production of the Continental will be halted for seven weeks while the Arnage will only stop production for six weeks.Source: AutoCar